Wait, I thought we wanted renewables, so why fight the "make-up" power? Does DPS school board think they can do better?
Returning to the theme of activist environmentalists only seeing what they're advocating for, only does it this time lead them to trip over their own feet?
Yesterday I posted about the proposed ballot measure that would eliminate all oil and gas drilling in this state. I stated near the end of that post that it was an example of how some diehard activists do not see anything beyond their activism.
I'm back. And this one has an interesting twist.
The article below details how a Deseret Power, a Utah-based power company was one step away from a deal to lease state land for a natural gas power plant near Rangely ... and then a group of environmentalists stepped in. In response to what a spokeswoman for the Colorado Land Board termed "... the handful of public comments we recently received", the application is pulled and pending further review (with no firm date as to when it will be taken up.
Now we get to the (if you're me anyway) baffling part. Take a look at the screenshot attached. Yes. You read that right.
The plant would have been to help generate power to fill in the gaps when renewables are not generating. It would have helped ease the transition to renewables.
And some environmentalists objected causing it to be shelved.
What, pray tell, did they think would be used to fill in the gaps here? Prayers and birkenstock sandals made by elves who earn a living wage?
**One more related comment. I want you to revisit the quote I pulled above. It was a "handful" of public comments that swayed them. When I told you that even a few comments sent to tiny boards that never hear from anyone have an impact, take this as a prime example.
https://coloradosun.com/2023/04/12/colorado-utah-deseret-power/
Since they've done such a good job around keeping students in school safe, DPS is now going to take back the reins from some of its innovation schools.
Surely they can run those schools better. Look at how well the other, regular DPS schools have done!
Out of a sense of fairness, some details do matter here, so let me address those first. I'm not deeply enmeshed nor deeply familiar with the ins and outs with both sides of the story here. There do seem to be hints of some bona fide trouble. To wit, the quote from the story below.
"Superintendent Alex Marrero recommended revoking Beacon’s innovation zone status because of low test scores at Kepner Beacon and concerns about the zone’s organizational health, including what he said was inadequate financial oversight by the zone board."
Further, this is not an across the board attack on every innovation school. In fact, one was unanimously approved to continue operations.
Still, if you look at the general performance of students in DPS, is DPS's School Board really going to try and claim that the low test scores at Kepner Beacon are worse than others and that putting them back in DPS's gen pop (so to speak) will improve things?
I am skeptical.
https://co.chalkbeat.org/2023/4/10/23678386/innovation-zone-dissolve-kepner-grant-beacon-network-denver-schools-dps-marrero-school-board